PONE-D-23-34507Predictors of Delayed Initiation of Breast Milk and Exclusive Breastfeeding in Ethiopia: A Multi-level Mixed-effect AnalysisPLOS ONE

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: Reviewer Comments to the Author

Dear PLOS One team of editorials, thank you for giving me the chance to review the manuscript entitled " Predictors of Delayed Initiation of Breast Milk and Exclusive Breastfeeding in Ethiopia: A Multi-level Mixed-effect Analysis”

This study gives very important results regarding delayed initiation of breast milk and exclusive breastfeeding. However, in a few areas, here are my comments.

1. While reading the abstract …Which software you used for data analysis is not clear ....it must be included in the abstract…. The abstract is many-worded try to make it short, catchier, and reader-friendly... conclusion does not match with the objective.

2. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, but in your study, you include ages 0-5 ...why??

3. Keywords are not matched with the title

4. In the background major consequences or effects of delayed initiation of feeding or not doing exclusive breastfeeding are not discussed.

5. There are dissimilarities in study objectives: in abstract and introduction

6. Revisit the numbers, totals, and the statistics in general

7. Insufficient citation, particularly in discussion for safe interpretation

8. It is not mandatory to report the strengths of your study.

9. What are the measures taken to control the confounders?

10. Use correct tense, grammar, sentence, spelling, paraphrase, consistency…check it.

Reviewer #2: Sampling was done about 5 years ago. Does this data look old? Considering the importance of publishing DHS data, how do the authors justify the reason for this delay?

One of the cases that seems to be necessary to be considered in the criteria for selecting people is the cases where it is not possible to start early feeding with breast milk after giving birth due to maternal and infant problems, which is a completely scientific and logical separation. When the results of the delay in the initiation of breastfeeding for this high-risk mother or infant are combined with the delay in the onset of breastfeeding (newborns or mothers who did not have any problems after delivery), it leads to a higher indication of the delay in the initiation of breastfeeding. How did the researchers deal with this problem?

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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Predictors of Delayed Initiation of Breast Milk and Exclusive Breastfeeding in Ethiopia: A Multi-level Mixed-effect Analysis

PONE-D-23-34507R1

Dear Mr Gossa,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

Kahsu Gebrekidan

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.

Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed

Reviewer #2: All comments have been addressed

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2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: (No Response)

Reviewer #2: There is no more comment. There is no more comment.

There is no more comment.

There is no more comment.

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7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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